reductions in emissions from rail transport and at stations (1)

Florence Eshalomi: What opportunities to decarbonise TfL controlled rail services have you identified, especially surrounding options to power services through local renewable generation in London and using procurement options to increase the provision of renewable energy?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has identified a number of opportunities to reduce carbon emissions from the rail services it controls, including energy efficiency improvements on rail services and at stations. TfL has also undertaken mapping work on the scale of solar generation infrastructure that could be installed on its estate.
To gauge the potential opportunity for direct connections to low carbon power generation on TfL’s estate, TfL has undertaken a market engagement exercise and a feasibility study into land close to TfL assets that could host renewable energy generation. This has identified a number of opportunities and TfL is currently considering options to take this forward.
In addition, TfL is working with Crown Commercial Services on the potential to incorporate renewable energy Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) into its purchasing framework. An update on its approach to renewable PPAs will be provided to the TfL Finance Committee later this year.

Electric car charging availability (1)

Florence Eshalomi: At 1 October 2019, there were 4,360 public electric vehicle charging devices available in London. Of these, 323 were rapid devices. What targets, if any, do you have for the provision of a) electric vehicle charging devices and b) rapid devices in London?

The Mayor: The Go Ultra Low City Scheme, managed by a partnership between London Councils, Transport for London (TfL) and the GLA, has a target of 1,150 on-street residential charge points by the end of 2020. This target has already been achieved and exceeded, with over 1,500 charge points delivered across the 23 London boroughs participating in the programme. A further 200 charge points are due to be delivered by the end of the financial year.
TfL also has a target to deliver 300 rapid charge points by the end of 2020. Delivery is on track with 226 delivered to date.
My Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Taskforce recently assessed London’s likely Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure needs, which was published in the resultant EV Infrastructure Delivery Plan. The taskforce did not recommend a prescriptive, target-based approach, so it is important to not consider these as targets. The estimates concluded that by 2020, using prudent EV uptake assumptions, London could need around 200 to 400 rapid charge points and 3,400 to 4,700 slow to fast charge points.

GLA Group IT Costs

Susan Hall: How many items of GLA group IT equipment have been lost, stolen or broken since May 2016 and what has been the cost to fix or replace these items?

The Mayor: Since 2016 the GLA Technology Group has: replaced 51 lost items at a cost of £17,470, replaced 34 stolen items at a cost of £9,460 and replaced 17 broken items at a cost of £7,900. The Total cost of all these items since 2016 has been £34,830.

Vehicle hydrogen charging

Leonie Cooper: How many vehicle hydrogen charging stations are there in London, which vehicle type do they support and where are they located?

The Mayor: There are two publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations in London. They are at the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) Campus, Marsh Way in Rainham, and the National Physical Laboratory, Essen Way in Teddington. Both stations offer refuelling for hydrogen fuel cell cars.
Transport for London have one hydrogen refuelling station in Lea Interchange Bus Depot in Leyton, for buses only.
Further information about the hydrogen refuelling stations located in London can be found at https://www.itm-power.com/h2-stations and https://h2-map.eu/.

Electric car charging availability (4)

Florence Eshalomi: What support, if any, are you offering to London boroughs who wish to bid for funding under the on-street residential charge point scheme?

The Mayor: Boroughs who wish to bid for on street residential funding in London are able to under the Go Ultra Low City Scheme (GULCS), which is a partnership between London Councils, the GLA and Transport for London (TfL). Support such as a procurement framework and expert advice is offered. This funding stream is due to end in 2020. Full details can be found here: https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/our-key-themes/transport/roads/gulcs
Alternatively, boroughs are able to bid for funding from the Office of Low Emission Vehicles’ national on-street residential charge point scheme if they are not receiving funding from the GULCS programme. Boroughs participating in the GULCS programme may be able to bid for funding if they can demonstrate their additional funding request is appropriate. Full details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/grants-for-local-authorities-to-provide-residential-on-street-chargepoints
Boroughs who wish to use the GULCS programme procurement framework (regardless of funding source) can request procurement support from TfL.
In addition, on the recommendation made in the Mayor’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Taskforce Delivery Plan, London Councils is setting up a ‘coordination function’ with support from TfL, to help facilitate charge point installation for boroughs as well as the private sector, in the future. This will include knowledge sharing, specific support for borough delivery including procurement, contract management support, funding guidance, data analysis and monitoring.

Bus Spider Maps

Caroline Russell: A constituent has contacted me concerned that bus spider maps are not being updated by Transport for London (TfL) after the recent changes to the London bus network. When will bus spider maps be updated to ensure they match recent changes such as those to the C2 and 88?

The Mayor: Following the large number of recent changes to the bus network, Transport for London (TfL) has almost completed updating all of the information at stops and shelters. This includes posting an estimated 6,000 updated bus spider maps at stops across London. TfL will make sure that all out of date maps are updated or removed by the end of the financial year and is looking at ways in which this can be completed more quickly in future.
TfL has also been updating the design of its bus spider maps to make them easier to use and more accessible. Some spider maps have been discontinued as recent research with customers shows that they are used by less than 1 per cent of bus users. In future, TfL will focus on providing maps at those shelters that serve multiple routes or serve destinations that are more likely to be unfamiliar to customers, for example hospitals. All bus stops and shelters will still display route maps and timetables, and TfL will be promoting the other travel tools that are available such as TravelBots.

Hydrogen buses

Leonie Cooper: Given the new ownership of the company delivering the hydrogen buses, what is the updated timetable for delivery of the 20 hydrogen buses?

The Mayor: In May 2019, Transport for London (TfL) formally announced its investment in 20 new hydrogen double decker buses, and contracts and orders were placed with the manufacturing company, Wrightbus. After Wrightbusunfortunately went into administration in September 2019, Bamford Bus Company bought the assets of the business only, meaning there is currently no contract to buy the vehicles.
TfL is in discussions with Bamford Bus Company to see if acceptable commercial terms can be reached to purchase a replacement set of 20 hydrogen vehicles. However, those discussions have not yet been concluded.

Micro-business scrappage scheme

Leonie Cooper: In October 2019, you told me that applications to the £25 million scrappage scheme for micro-businesses and charities totalled roughly £3 million. How will you reduce this underspend and, if it cannot be reduced to zero, how will you ensure it is redirected effectively?

The Mayor: My scrappage scheme to support businesses and charities has a budget of £23m. The scheme is intended to provide targeted support for qualifying businesses and charities affected by the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and ULEZ expansion in 2021. It is likely that applications will be spread over a period of time as businesses think about how the expansion of the ULEZ will affect them and consider what action they will take.
On 20 January 2020, a number of changes to the scheme were launched to provide greater support to a larger number of eligible organisations. The eligibility criteria has been expanded to include small businesses and those who enter the zone less frequently. The scrappage payment level also increased to £7,000.
Later in the year, the scheme will also be extended to heavy vehicles (those affected by the Low Emission Zone), including buses, coaches and Heavy Goods Vehicles. This will support small businesses affected by the tougher Low Emission Zone standards across Greater London from October 2020. Eligible businesses and charities will have the option to either scrap and replace or retrofit a non-compliant heavy vehicle for £15,000.
The scheme will be kept under review.

Pollution

Andrew Boff: How many play parks in London are located on bus routes in high pollution areas? And how many of those bus routes are served by electric or hydrogen buses?

The Mayor: Transport for London is in the process of obtaining and analysing the requested data, and will respond to you directly once this work is complete.

Command unit crewing (1)

Andrew Dismore: Please provide an update on the rank structure for the crewing of command units in the London Fire Brigade.

The Mayor: The Command Unit Integration Project started on the 16 October 2019, with the first command unit planning to be integrated into watches in November 2020. The proposed rank structure, which is subject to approval at the Commissioner’s Board in February 2020, will provide a minimum crewing level of three- an increase from the current minimum of two. The proposed rank structure is as follows: one sub-officer; one leading firefighter; and a minimum of one firefighter.

Bus Driver Facility Improvements

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your response to Question 2019/6056, how many of the routes identified as not having toilets available for bus drivers have now been provided with such facilities? How many routes remain without dedicated toilets that are accessible at any time for bus drivers?

The Mayor: As routes and the availability of toilets can change with the bus network, Transport for London (TfL) now has 52 prioritised routes, of which 45 are currently served by toilets. TfL anticipates the remainder being delivered later this year.
A more detailed paper has been prepared to summarise changes in prioritised routes and installation progress. This can now be viewed at http://content.tfl.gov.uk/sshrp-20200212-agenda-and-papers-public.pdf as part of the agenda for TfL’s Safety and Security Resources Panel on February 12.

Tube dust (1)

Leonie Cooper: The Piccadilly line trial for cleaning tube dust was very successful and reduced respirable dust by 73%. Can you say with confidence what impact this would have had on staff and passenger health?

The Mayor: Last year Transport for London (TfL) carried out a trial of a very powerful trolley-based vacuum cleaner on the Piccadilly line between Barons Court and Earl’s Court stations, which successfully reduced both inhalable and respirable dust.
TfL is confident that the air on the Tube was already safe for staff and customers as it operates well within the Health & Safety Executive regulatory limits.
However, TfL is working hard to make the underground environment cleaner for both staff and passengers, by incorporating the most effective cleaning methodologies into its cleaning regime.

New Year’s Parade and air pollution

Andrew Dismore: At The New Year’s Day Parade in central London the air pollution caused by the poisonous exhausts of participating classic cars, such as Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Mokes, Minis, and Aston Martins was exacerbated by engines running when they were parked stationary and with revving up engines to show off. If such cars are included next year, what will you do to ensure such pollution is minimised?

The Mayor: London’s New Year’s Day Parade is an important annual cultural event that celebrates our unity and diversity, showing that London is open to all. It is essential that spectators are able to enjoy the festival free from breathing in toxic air pollution.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone was in operation on New Year’s Day, which will have reduced the number of older, polluting vehicles in the area. However, vehicles with a historic tax class or constructed before 1 January 1973 are exempt from the scheme. This is because it is not possible to fit emissions abatement equipment to them to bring their emissions within the required limit.
Despite this, it is imperative that they play their part in reducing emissions and my officers are writing to the parade organisers to ensure that engine idling and revving have no part to play in future events.

TfL travelcards – online purchase (2)

Fiona Twycross: How many annual or period travelcards purchased online fail to be activated following purchase? Do you have figures on the reasons for failure to activate? How long does it take for a refund to be processed on average?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) informs customers how long they have to collect travelcards at the point of online purchase. When a customer places an order for a travelcard via Oyster online or via the TfL Oyster and mobile app, an email confirmation is sent to them. This advises them that the order can be collected after 30 minutes, as part of their next journey when they touch it on a yellow card reader.
Pay As You Go orders are available for collection for 4 days, including the day it was ordered. If the customer doesn’t make a journey and collect their order, it will be refunded after the 4 days. This time allows for any additional data to be processed.
The payment is automatically returned to the customer via their original payment method, excluding annual tickets that are referred to TfL Customer Services for further checks before being refunded.
Customers can expect a refund within 7 days. Of the 11,484 refunds processed, only 36 of took longer than 7 days.
The figures below show how many of the 1,259,749 travelcards which were ordered, failed to be collected and were refunded between 1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019.
Count of Travelcard orders
Failure Reason
9782
Customer did not collect ticket
1699
Collection couldn't be confirmed by system
1
Product Code not found
2
The card could not be updated as the Oyster card expiry date for the passenger has been reached

Smart Working IT Kit Strategy

Susan Hall: What plans are there to upgrade the Smart Working IT kit in the future to mitigate against its depreciating value over time?

The Mayor: The Technology Group already have an equipment replacement programme where equipment will be replaced when it gets towards the end of its lifecycle. The Smart Working Kit will be upgraded as part of this programme. For the mobile equipment provided this should be upgraded within the next 3 to 4 years.

Smart Working IT Kit Procurement

Susan Hall: Please can you detail the procurement process for the new Smart Working IT kit and explain the measures taken to secure the best deal for the GLA?

The Mayor: The equipment was procured through TfL using their procurement framework. This framework was competitively tendered and allows the GLA to procure equipment at the same competitive rate as TfL.

Smart Working Budget

Susan Hall: What budget has been allocated for any potential breakages, thefts and losses of the new personal IT kits being rolled out to GLA staff under the new smart working policy?

The Mayor: The Technology Group have an on-going equipment replacement programme that is used to replace equipment that reaches the end of its lifespan and needs replacing. Based on our analysis of previous breakages, thefts and losses (Please see my answer to Mayor's Question 2019/21085) we believe we can accommodate the cost of equipment that has broken, been stolen or lost with that budget. The total budget for all equipment replacement will be £100,000in the first year after the rollout – followed by £400,000the following year.

Pollution 2

Andrew Boff: Further to question 2019/12356, please breakdown by borough the number of schools located on bus routes in high pollution areas, and state how many of these routes are served by electric or hydrogen buses.

The Mayor: Transport for London is in the process of obtaining and analysing the requested data and will respond to you directly once this work is complete.

Engine idling

Shaun Bailey: What progress are you making on engine idling in London?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) does not have powers to enforce against engine idling because current legislation restricts this activity to Local Authorities and the police.
TfL operational staff are being deployed in locations identified as being of significant concern. They are engaging with drivers to educate them about the law relating to engine idling and the impact of their actions on air quality and public health. Given that existing regulations are not effective for enforcement against idling, TfL is focused on educating drivers and encouraging compliance, working alongside the Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC). Through the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund, I am also continuing to directly support boroughs in their anti-idling activities, including formal enforcement.

PHV Licenses (5)

Andrew Boff: What measures do TfL recommend PHV Operators to have in place to ensure there is no licence holder impersonation?

The Mayor: It is the private hire vehicle (PHV) operator’s responsibility to ensure that they meet licensing and regulatory requirements. Transport for London (TfL) therefore does not recommend particular methods of meeting this responsibility, as this is an operational decision for licensed operators.
TfL’s licensing and regulatory requirements include that all bookings must be carried out by a licensed driver in a licensed vehicle. They also require operators to provide a booking confirmation to passengers, before the journey commences, that includes details of both the vehicle and driver.
TfL has run a twice yearly Safer Travel at Night campaign providing information to passengers on how to stay safe, including the importance of checking they are getting into the correct vehicle, using the booking details provided.
TfL provides information on its website for licensed operators and applicants about their obligations to ensure that a TfL licensed driver is carrying out a booking.

ULEZ Charges and Supporting Small Businesses

Jennette Arnold: One of my constituents has contacted me as he is very concerned that he cannot currently afford to update the van he relies upon to transport the materials and tools for his construction business. However he regularly has to travel into the congestion charging zone for his work and is very concerned that the implementation of the ULEZ will make his business financially unviable. Please provide details of how you are supporting small businesses like this and making sure that they remain solvent.

The Mayor: To help micro-businesses, sole traders and charities prepare for the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone, and its expansion in 2021, I launched a £23 million van scrappage scheme on 22 February 2019. This scheme allows eligible applicants to scrap up to three older, more polluting vans and charity minibuses and switch to cleaner vehicles. Eligibility criteria have been set to ensure that the funds are targeted at those most in need of support. Information on the scheme and the application forms are available on the Transport for London (TfL) website.
TfL will keep the scheme under review and will consider how it can evolve to provide even greater support to eligible businesses.

Anti-Idling Campaign and Chingford Train Depot

Jennette Arnold: Please explain what fines TfL will face due to the Mayor’s Anti-Idling Campaign as the overnight running of trains at the Chingford Depot causes significant noise and air pollution?

The Mayor: The 315 and 317 fleets stabled at Chingford are past their design life and will be replaced this year with the 710 fleet. Due to their age, the life-expired trains need to be kept ‘active’ overnight. London Overground is aware that compressor noise to maintain the systems can cause some disturbance to local residents and apologises for this. Once the new trains are delivered, this will no longer be an issue.
The 315 and 317 fleets are comprised of electric trains so there is no air pollution issue.

Cycling infrastructure

Caroline Pidgeon: I have been approached by a resident from Wandsworth who wishes to know what steps TfL is taking to rapidly roll out improved walking and cycling infrastructure using lessons learned from the Nine Elms development area on the Transport for London Road network where temporary measures, such as the use of traffic wands have been effectively used?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) works closely with utility companies, private developers and contractors to ensure the needs of road users, particularly the most vulnerable, are taken into account at temporary road layouts at all roadworks across the TfL Road Network (TLRN).
TfL work to ensure access is maintained for cyclists, pedestrians and buses where roads are closed to general motor traffic. This includes provision for cyclists during major works, such as at Old Street where dedicated lanes have been maintained for cyclists during the transformational works to turn the roundabout into a cyclist and pedestrian friendly space. During the Highbury Corner improvement works, TfL ensured cyclists had a segregated lane through the works which meant they didn’t have to merge with general traffic at the gyratory. TfL also worked closely with the London Borough of Hackney Council to ensure all-inclusive provision for road users at Pitfield Street and Hyde Road was provided whilst works were taking place.
An important part of this is ensuring best practice is shared and that there is a consistent approach. For example, TfL and the largest utility companies recently signed a Roadworks Charter with a series of pledges aiming to make all roadworks sites on the TLRN safer and healthier - encouraging active travel, supporting Vision Zero and Healthy Streets.
The Charter includes commitments to follow TfL’s Traffic Management Handbook – which sets out guidance and best practice for temporary traffic management on the TLRN – and to improve provision for pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers. TfL continues to develop its guidance around vulnerable road user safety, including ways of engaging vulnerable users directly in the planning of works to ensure different requirements are fully considered.
For clusters of development such as Nine Elms, TfL is also promoting lessons learned to developments in other areas. Examples of good practice being shared include reducing the number of Heavy Goods Vehicles trips by providing shared holding areas, and forming working groups of developers and contractors to share information and plans.

E-Flex project trial

Leonie Cooper: Please provide an update on the E-Flex project trial. Is it proving successful and could it be rolled out?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and the GLA are partners in the Innovate UK funded project ‘E-Flex’, which will be demonstrating Vehicle-to-Grid (‘V2G’) technology in real-world vehicle fleets. This project intends to realise the benefits of new technology that enables Electric Vehicles (EVs) to both charge and discharge, which will support the electricity grid at times of high demand in the context of greater power generation from renewable sources. Importantly, the project will analyse the commercial case for V2G technology and seek to develop a marketplace for deploying this solution.
E-Flex is led by Cisco. Other partners include Cenex, Imperial College, Nuvve and E-Car Club. TfL is planning to install three V2G chargers at two London Underground sites – Edgware Road and Bollo Lane in Acton. Installation and commissioning of the chargers is planned for Spring 2020. The intention is to operate EVs in TfL’s support fleet using these chargers for up to a year. At the end of the project in Spring 2021, the data and learning gathered will be shared with stakeholders.

Refunds for free travel on Gospel Oak to Barking trains (2)

Jennette Arnold: For contactless tickets, can you confirm how many people applied for a refund, having not received one automatically? Of those, how many people subsequently received a refund?

The Mayor: Data is not captured at this level of detail.

Tube dust (2)

Leonie Cooper: When will we be in a position to roll out the methodology from the Piccadilly line trial to other lines?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is working hard to make the underground environment cleaner, and invests £60 million every year on cleaning trains, stations and tunnels.
Last year TfL carried out a trial of a very powerful trolley-based vacuum cleaner on the Piccadilly line between Barons Court and Earl’s Court stations, which successfully reduced both inhalable and respirable dust.
TfL is currently trialling a similar methodology on sections of the Bakerloo and Victoria lines. As part of this work, TfL is also testing the application of a dust suppressant formula post-clean, to assess the combined impact. Results from these trials are expected to be available by spring 2020. Following an assessment of the impact, TfL will determine how best to incorporate these methodologies into its regular cleaning regime.

clean up the bus fleet (2)

Florence Eshalomi: You have said that all double-deck buses in central London will be Euro VI and hybrid by 2019. Can you confirm how many double-deck buses are currently operating in central London and that they are all Euro VI and hybrid?

The Mayor: There are up to 2,800 TfL double-deck buses operating in the central Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). This can vary if patronage and travel patterns change over time.
I can confirm that, as a minimum, all TfL double deck buses currently operating in the central Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) are Euro VI hybrid electric. Routes 43 and 134 go beyond this requirement being the UK’s first bus routes to use full electric double-deck buses.

ULEZ

David Kurten: You launched the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in central London on 8 April 2019.Could you tell me how many vehicles currently avoid paying this charge, due to the fact that they do not appear in TfL’s databases, because they are foreign-registered.

The Mayor: The ULEZ is central to the Mayor’s plans to improve the health of Londoners by cleaning up the city’s toxic air, which leads to the early deaths of thousands of Londoners every year.
Most vehicles driving in the ULEZ, must meet new, tighter emission standards or pay a daily charge to travel within the area. Foreign vehicles are subject to the ULEZ emission standards in the same way as UK vehicles are.
Transport for London utilise a European Debt Recovery Agency to undertake enforcement against foreign vehicles that do not meet the emission standards but drive in ULEZ without paying the daily charge. The European Debt Recovery Agency liaises with foreign countries’ equivalents of the DVLA to do so.
Since ULEZ enforcement commenced, on an average day, around 400 foreign vehicles are identified which have failed to comply with the ULEZ.

Electric buses

Leonie Cooper: How many electric buses could London’s current charging infrastructure support, and how many electric buses are in operation?

The Mayor: There are currently 230 electric buses in Transport for London’s (TfL) fleet, with a further 270 vehicles expected to join by the end of March next year. Operators of these vehicles will continue to support introduction with charging at their garages as has been normal practice.
As TfL moves towards much larger-scale change such as increasing electric bus numbers to 2,000 by 2024 and the entire fleet not later than 2037, there will need to be significant investment in the power grid and substations by Distribution Network Operators.
TfL continues to work with these stakeholders to understand the steps necessary to upgrade electrical supply and how to deliver a zero-emission fleet as quickly as possible.

HMICFRS Report into the London Fire Brigade (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: The job of a firefighter is incredibly stressful and demanding on both mental and physical health. It is concerning that the recent HMICFRS Report into the London Fire Service highlighted that there is no wellbeing strategy in place across the fire service and that mental health support and provision is inconsistent. When will you ensure that our brave firefighters get the mental health and wellbeing support they deserve?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) will continue to prioritise the wellbeing of its workforce. Its employee support group United Minds continues to grow and supports staff, alongside its qualified Counselling and Trauma support team. However, the LFB accepts HMICFRS‘ findings that not all staff understand how to access the services available to them, and that some aspects of the support are inconsistent. The LFB has a plan in place to deliver improvements in both physical and mental wellbeing around three key areas – fitness, policy, and psychological wellbeing, which will be delivered in the next London Safety Plan. LFB is currently developing training to help managers recognise the signs of stress, anxiety and depression alongside training staff to be mental health first aiders. Fitness tests for all operational staff will begin later in January with a supportive programme to ensure staff meet a minimum standard of personal fitness.

Engine Idling

Florence Eshalomi: The Urban Transport Group is made up of the UK’s seven largest urban transport authorities, including TfL, and has called on (https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/fleet-industry-news/2019/07/31/urban-transport-group-wants-powers-to-enforce-idling-legislation) the Government to give them the power to impose penalties on vehicles to reduce the idling and stop-start conditions that cause congestion and air pollution. Are you able to explain what effect getting these powers will have in London?

The Mayor: I am committed to dealing with London’s filthy air. But it is clear that existing regulations have not been effective in tackling idling. Were these powers to be devolved, I would seek to ensure they are properly deployed, allowing Transport for London (TfL) to take more effective action against this type of offence, complementing my existing policies to clean up London’s toxic air. While TfL Enforcement Officers regularly work with volunteers, project staff, and other stakeholders to deliver interventions at identified hotspot locations in order to raise awareness of engine idling and its consequences, they have no powers to enforce against it.
Toxic air is a public health crisis. I recently announced a £6 million investment from my Air Quality Fund to support a range of projects to tackle toxic air, including an anti-engine-idling campaign across 32 of London’s boroughs. But further action is needed. Although TfL currently enforces against those moving traffic offences that create risk and disruption to the network, the opportunity to enforce against engine idling is restricted with current legislation restricting this activity to Local Authorities and the Police. Furthermore, it only provides them with limited powers and the ability to issue very small fines.

Electric vehicle charging points

Shaun Bailey: Following your announcement of a £4 million investment in residential electric vehicle charging points, which boroughs will benefit from this investment and how many will be installed in each London borough?

The Mayor: As part of the second round of the Go Ultra Low Cities scheme (GULCS), £4 million has been allocated to support the implementation of approximately 1,000 residential electric vehicle charging points, 17 rapid charging points, and two community charging hubs. This vital infrastructure will be delivered across 29 boroughs to encourage the switch to electric vehicles and help tackle London’s toxic air and the climate emergency. A breakdown of funding allocated to each borough for specific infrastructure is attached to this answer.

Southeastern train franchise

Caroline Pidgeon: Please set out in detail what steps you have recently taken to communicate with the Department for Transport to advocate the merits of the rail franchise being awarded by Transport for London.
Please also set out what steps you have taken to communicate to the Department for Transport that such a change has cross party support on the London Assembly and wider afield.
Please set out in detail what correspondence or meetings you have recently held with Government Ministers on this issue.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) officers continue to have regular and positive dialogue with Department for Transport (DfT) officials to discuss the possible transfer of some suburban rail services. TfL knows from experience that this is an involved process, requiring a business case and subsequently changes to several hundred supplier contracts, ranging from the overarching Track Access contract with Network Rail to water supply at individual stations. This is necessarily something that takes some time.
However, while still at an early stage, I am confident the transfer of some Southeastern services to TfL would be highly beneficial and attract the level of support from customers seeking a more reliable, integrated service. My Deputy Mayor for Transport and I have discussed this with DfT Ministers (my Deputy Mayor for Transport raised this most recently in a meeting with the rail minister in January), and we hope to continue seeing progress in this area.

Crossrail Performance-Linked Pay

Susan Hall: Please can you provide details of the total of all Crossrail performance related pay payments for each of the last 3 years, for staff earning over £50,000, and broken down by pay-band/level?

The Mayor: The governance arrangements for the Crossrail project were established with the Government such that the running of the company was kept to Crossrail Ltd’s Board. Transport for London (TfL) was not represented on nor had any control over the Crossrail Remuneration Committee, which operated to its own contractually agreed remuneration principles and remuneration framework.
Performance related pay for staff at Crossrail earning over £50,000 for the last three financial years has been provided by Crossrail Limited in the tables below, broken down by pay-band.
Base pay performance awards increases, incentive and bonus payments are made to eligible staff and are based on a combination of individual performance targets and corporate objectives being met.
Crossrail Limited’s policy now is to not pay any bonuses to its Executive Directors until the central section is open.
The figures in the tables below include annual base pay increases, incentive payments and bonus payments.
2016 / 2017
Pay band
Total
PB2
£4,419
PB3
£285,587
PB4
£260,446
PB5
£359,773
Director
£599,836
2017 / 2018
Pay band
Total
PB2
£7,178
PB3
£169,771
PB4
£151,944
PB5
£217,803
Director
£336,484
2018 / 2019
Pay band
Total
PB2
£1,613
PB3
£37,474
PB4
£30,630
PB5
£16,558
Director
£1,030

Electric charging points (1)

Tony Arbour: How many electric charging points have been installed by the Mayor since 2016

The Mayor: Over 1,700 charge points have been installed since 2016 by boroughs participating in the Go Ultra Low City Scheme (a partnership of Transport for London (TfL), the GLA and London Councils) and the TfL rapid chargers programme.

Great Northern Rail Franchise (4)

Joanne McCartney: What timetable improvements could TfL make if it was to take over the Great Northern services out of Moorgate at both peak and non-peak times?

The Mayor: If services were to be transferred, Transport for London (TfL) would provide a more reliable and integrated service to all customers. This would include ensuring the current timetable is delivered on a regular basis – an enormous improvement for customers who rely on this route.
TfL would also consider whether journey times could be reduced between Finsbury Park and Moorgate and frequencies potentially enhanced during peak times.
Improvements are currently planned in the existing franchise as part of the Thameslink Upgrade Programme. The upgrades would mean weekday off-peak services on the Herford North branch would increase from four trains per hour (tph) to six tph. On Saturdays, services on the branch would increase from two tph to six tph. Weekend off-peak services on the Welwyn Garden City Branch would increase from two tph to four tph. Together, these would also see an uplift in mileage to the tune of 17 per cent compared to December 2019.
If control of the Great Northern Services were transferred to TfL, it would monitor the success of the enhancements made under the Thameslink Upgrade programme and work with Network Rail to consider the value of further frequency increases.

Wildflower Verges on the TfL Road Network

Joanne McCartney: Further to my Mayor’s Question 2019/19998, what were the results of Transport for London’s wildflower verge trial on two red routes (parts of the A40 and A406)? Are there plans to extend this initiative to other routes this year - if so, which routes are being considered?

The Mayor: Yes, Transport for London is planning to extend this initiative to other routes this year as the initial trials on the A40 and A406 have shown that a reduced mowing regime enables wildflowers to flourish and biodiversity to increase. Work is currently underway to identify suitable locations on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) which can have a reduced mowing regime implemented this year.

ULEZ enforcement (1)

Leonie Cooper: How many enforcement notices have so far had to be issued under the ULEZ for drivers that are not compliant and have not paid the fee in the first 6 months, broken down by month?

The Mayor: For the first month following the successful launch of ULEZ on 8 April 2019, Transport for London issued warning notices rather than Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to drivers of non-compliant vehicles. The first PCNs were issued for non-compliance on 11 May 2019 and the total number of PCNs issued per month until 30 September 2019 is shown in the table below.
Month
ULEZ PCNs Issued
Apr-19
0
May-19
41,002
Jun-19
74,679
Jul-19
68,935
Aug-19
66,686
Sep-19
60,163

ULEZ enforcement (2)

Leonie Cooper: How much income has come in from ULEZ enforcement in the first six months, broken down by month?

The Mayor: The total value of Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) income received, as reported in Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Quarter 2 accounts, is shown in the table below. In line with TfL’s standard accounting procedures, income from PCNs is recognised at an amount adjusted for the probability of cancellation as payment becomes due.
There are far less PCNs issued for the ULEZ than the Congestion Charge despite it only being operational for seven months and applying 24 hours, 7 days a week. In October, the rate of vehicles contravening the ULEZ (and therefore liable for a PCN) was 1.5%, which is roughly half the contravention rate of the Congestion Charge. This shows how Londoners and businesses are responding positively and playing their part in cleaning London’s air.
As stated in my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/20435, TfL issued warning notices rather than PCNs for the first month after ULEZ was successfully launched on 8 April 2019. The first PCNs for non-compliance were issued on 11 May 2019.
Financial Year 2019/20
Period
ULEZ PCNs Net Income
1
0
2
£0.2m
3
£4.3m
4
£4.4m
5
£4.9m
6
£4.4m
Total
£18.1m
All income from the ULEZ will be reinvested into improving the transport network and it is dwarfed by the five-year £800 million investment underway to transform London’s air.

TfL courses

Susan Hall: Please provide a list of the titles and costs of all training and development programmes offered to TfL staff. Please also include a brief description of each course.

The Mayor: TfL aims to provide development options to all employees at all stages of their career. There is an extensive suite of training courses available to all of our employees. Some courses are geared towards the specific technical requirements of a role, mainly in the operational environment. Other training is targeted for specific roles or for groups of employees to drive improvements in core capabilities.
In the previous three years, TfL has centrally coordinated over 4,100 distinct training courses, this does not take into account localised training and development which takes place within individual teams. As such, TfL has provided a brief description of some of TfL’s popular training programmes – which include a number of courses in each:
Customer Contact Training
The Customer Experience training team provide technical and customer service training to employees working in customer contact centres (e.g. London Underground Control Centre, Oyster Help desk, Lost Property).
The TfL Graduate and Apprenticeship programmes
Graduate schemes have been available to both external applicants and existing employees. Course related development is provided on the schemes, from Project Management courses to Masters courses. Apprenticeships are available in a number of disciplines for both external and internal candidates. We are also currently developing apprenticeships for existing employees.
Leader Led Learning Programme
This programme was developed in 2016 to replace the partnership with Cass Business School and fully utilises the existing skills and experience of our Directors, Band 5s and the Band 4s by giving time to mentoring, running an expert hour talk, sponsoring a job placement or leadership challenge.
Leadership Foundation
Currently in design this is an on the job experience programme, underpinned with coaching and strengths based analysis with the aim of further improving the capability of leadership across TfL. The programme will fully launch in March 2020.
London Underground Skills Development
London Underground Skills Development run training for both new and existing operational employees in London Underground. These range from health and safety training to operational courses e.g. train operations, track and signals.

Refunds for free travel on Gospel Oak to Barking trains (10)

Jennette Arnold: For paper tickets, can you confirm how many tickets TfL believe were eligible for a refund?

The Mayor: Customers were required to have a valid ticket for their journey during the free travel month. Customers with paper tickets were told to retain the ticket/receipt as proof of purchase and were encouraged to switch to Oyster pay as you go, to receive automated refunds from Transport For London Customer Services. Unfortunately, we do not hold a record of paper ticket-specific refunds.

Refunds for free travel on Gospel Oak to Barking trains (8)

Jennette Arnold: TfL have said that to get a refund for an Oyster (Travelcard valid for longer than one month) card, you need to have the card registered to your online account by 29th October 2019. Of those Oyster (Travelcard valid for longer than one month) cards that were due a refund how many of them were a) registered to an online account and received a refund or b) not registered to an online account and did not receive a refund? Please outline the total value of the refund that was paid or not paid in both cases.

The Mayor: Please see a table with the information you have requested below.
Season tickets with customer details, refunded before 30 November
995
£8,017.80
Season tickets with customer details, refunded after 30 November
793
£7,371.00
Season tickets no customer details, no refund
401
£3,236.80
Season tickets no customer details, subsequently refunded after account identified
117
£567.90
Total season tickets longer than monthly
2306
£18,625.60